Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-06
CRIMINALITIEs.
Trial Of John L. Fonck in
the Superior Court.
THE CITY PRISON LEAKS.
Arrests, Trials, Convictions
Fines, Sentences, and Other
Notes.

John l.. Fonck was yesterday place
upon trial in Judge Cheney's cou
upon charge of assault to murdel
As will be remembered, on the 30th
last July the defendant shot DIR. Jaso
Steele, roomer in his wife's hous,
because as it was claimed the old gel
tleman interfered between Fonc
and his better half. After conside
able trouble the following jury wa
secured and the trial proceeded: ].
West, j. R. Fletcher, w. H. Folel
G. w. Fungate, T. H. McNally,
Stauhe, D. Richards, w. F. Childress
J. Schillfng, A. B. Harris, A. Nj
Clintock and H. G. Birelle.
DIR. Steele, the victim, was the frs
witness called and he testified as fol
lows: 81 am 75 years of age. l rente
room in Mrs. Fonck's house in Eas
Los Angeles. l was there abou
ten days before say
Fonck. don't remember how lonI
he STAYED. l think a week or two.
took four or five meals at the house.
never bought provisions for the famil,
or acted as the head of the house.
knew that there was trouble betweel
Mr.. and Mrs. Fonck about two weeks
before was shot. l never took Mrs
Fonck to Washington Gardens anC
bought her beer. l went out on the
same car and came back on the same
car that she did. l do not know
where Fonck was at that time.
went on the same train to Pasadena
with Mrs. Fonck. / did moi
buy her ticket. l did not &C
to hotel with her. She went
there. afterwards went to the hotel
and had supper with her and her chill
.dren. | don't know where Mr.. Fonck
was then. l was not unfriendly with
Fonck when l was shot. Mrs. Fonck
never came into my room in her night
clothes. There was one evening when
one of her children was i'll that she
came into my room. 1 paid no atten-
ton as to how she was dressed. !
went into her room. Her children
were not asleep. l never went into
Fonck's room with revolver in my
hand. l am possessed of revolver.
When was shot l think my pistol
was either in the drawer or on top ol
the bureau. l was clear across the
room from the bureau when shot.
was filling my pipe at the time. !
knew that there were divorce proceed.
ings between Mr.. and Mrs. Fonck.
did not know that was the cause o.
the trouble. l never threatened Fonck
with knife"
DIR. E. T, Shoemaker was the next
witness, and testified to have been
called in to attend DIR. Steele. He de-
sscribed the course of the bullet, saying
that it had entered about two-thirds
up the right arm and lodged at the
base of the right shoulder. When hi
had last treated DIR. Steele he thought
that the bullet still remained in hi.
body.
Court then adjourned until thi,
afternoon.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At 2 O'Clock p, m. court reconvened
and Mrs. Fonck, wife of the accused
was called. The defense objected to
her testimony on the ground that she
could not testify either for or against
her husband. The court SO held and
the witness was withdrawn.
John L. Fonck, the accused, was
next called. He testified as follows ::
sT am sixty-two years of age and have
lived in Los Angeles twenty-four
wears; lived with my second wife
eight wears. had five children by my
first wife. have worked the majority
of the time since have been in Los
Angeles at my trade-that of a car
riage trimmer. OFF and on for ten
years l have been on the police
force. When 1 came back from the
mountains l found that my wife had
rented our front room to DIR. Steele
/ was introduced to him and thought
him gentleman myself. l left again
and about eight days before l came
back received letter from my wife
signed by her maiden name" The
prosecution called for the letter, but
the witness stated that his wife had
taken it from him and tore it up, say
ing "You shall not have this for evi-
dence." "Before l left l paid the land
lord two months rent, saying that my
wife would pay the next months rent
and to let her have the house in her
name. When l got back my little
children said, "We have had good
time. We have been out riding all
over with DIR. Steele and mamma" l
asked my wife what it all meant and she
replied that it was none of my business
That night she threw her arms around
my necI and asked that l forgive
and forget l said all right and
forgave her. The next day while my
wife was in the yard, the doctor whis-
pered to her. The next day my wife
and the doctor were in his room talk
ing and l was in the parlor. He
motioned to my wife as if to know
whether l was in the house or not.
1 went in and told him that he would
have to leave the house the next day.
She forced my children to kiss the
doctor and he promised to give them
candy. then ordered her to come
in and shut the door. She came in
sbut refused 10 Close the door. l
pushed her to one side and closed it
and the doctor then threw it open
On the 3Oth of the month 1 called al
the house and found the Doctor in hi
room with his arm on her shoulder
NV wife ran out of the house and sht
said to me: you get out of here
YOU have no business here Tn
Doctor came to his door with his pisto
in his hand and said: You get, or
will kill you.' then drew my pisto
and fred at him. then walked of
and when 1 got to the middle OF tn
bridge came so near committing su
eide that I had to throw my pist'
away to keep from it.
THOUGHT OF MY FAMILY
al I;ldron and hasifafaf